


A Lesson in Matchmaking

by BeccaAnne814



Series: Steve Rogers x Reader Series [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 12:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11440554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaAnne814/pseuds/BeccaAnne814
Summary: Natasha is notorious for being a horrible matchmaker.  You decide to turn the tables on her, but do you really?





	1. Chapter 1

"She's a nightmare!" you said as you walked into the common room and sank onto the sofa next to Steve.

"Who's a nightmare?" he asked, putting down the book he was reading.

"Nat," you explained. "She won't stop trying to fix me up!"

"Yeah," Steve grinned. "She's been on me for a while. I was actually glad when you came along; took her attention away from me!"

"Not helping!" you exclaimed as you hit him over the head with a throw pillow.

"What are you two complaining about now?" Bucky asked as he walked into the room.

"Nat is trying to fix (Y/N) up," Steve replied with a grin.

"She tried to fix me up with the plumber that was here yesterday," you told Bucky and Steve.

"I don't know, (Y/N)," Bucky said, trying to hold back his laughter. "He was kind of cute."

"Not you, too!" you shouted, giving Bucky an exasperated look.

"Come on, Bucky," Steve argued. "(Y/N) is an Olympic gold medalist and one of our best sharpshooters. Not that I have anything against plumbers, but what would they have in common?"

"True," Bucky agreed. "I wonder though, why doesn't Natasha ever try to fix me up with anyone?"

You and Steve shot each other a look, rolling your eyes at one another in a knowing way.

"I don't know, Bucky," Steve lied. "Maybe she thinks you still need some time to adjust before you start dating again."

"Maybe," Bucky considered. "But I think I'm ready. I haven't been on a date since you and I took those girls to Stark's Expo back in the 40's. I'm going to go find Nat and see if she knows any available ladies that I might be interested in."

You and Steve waited until you were sure that Bucky had left the common room.

"You know, don't you?" you asked Steve.

"That Nat has a thing for Bucky?" Steve replied as you nodded your head. "What are we going to do about it?"

"Well," you pondered aloud. "Nat is always trying to fix everyone else up, maybe we should turn the tables on her for a change."

"She can't know what we're doing, though," Steve cautioned. "If she finds out that we're meddling in her love life, she'll shut down and we'll never get them together."

"Absolutely right," you agreed. "But, I've got a plan."

 

 

 

Bucky walked straight to Nat's room and knocked on the door.

"Barnes," Natasha said as she grabbed Bucky's arm to drag him into her room. "Just the person I wanted to talk to."

"Really?" Bucky asked.

"I need your help," Nat explained as she walked across the room to sit on the edge of her bed. "You know I've been trying to fix (Y/N) up, right?"

"Yeah," Bucky replied, pulling the desk chair over to the bed. "I heard about the plumber."

"Forget him," Nat said. "I'm trying to distract her from my real agenda."

"Which is what?" Bucky asked.

"Rogers," Nat whispered.

"You want to fix up Steve and (Y/N)?" Bucky asked, his eyebrows shooting up in shock.

"Think about it, Barnes," Nat began. "Rogers has been America's favorite son since the 40's and (Y/N) was the sweetheart of the Olympic Games a few years ago. They're perfect for each other, but neither one of them would ever think to make a move on the other."

"You're right," Bucky agreed. "So, how do we do this?"

"I've got it all figured out," Nat said, a huge grin spreading across her face. "But, like I said, I need your help."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, after breakfast, you stretched out on Nat's bed, letting out a dejected breath.

"What's wrong with you," Nat asked as she lay down beside you.

"I'm bored," you said as you turned. "I want to go do something tonight."

"What are you thinking?" Nat asked.

"Well," you began, turning to smile at the other woman. "Steve and Bucky are always talking about how they used to take girls dancing in the 40's. I've never been dancing like that, have you?"

"No," Nat said, thinking. "I've been to clubs, but nothing like what you're talking about."

"Do you think they will go with us, if we asked nicely?" You inquired, hoping the redhead would fall for your act.

"That's a great idea!" Nat responded, too busy thinking about you and Steve to realize what you were truly up to.

"Wonderful!" you said. "I'll go to talk to Steve and Bucky and see if they're in."

"If they say yes, then you and I have to go shopping." Nat told you as you got up off the bed and walked to the door.

"Definitely," you agreed. 

You found Steve and Bucky in the training room practicing maneuvers with the shield. Steve performed an elaborate acrobatic flip, sending the shield flying toward Bucky as he landed. Bucky effortlessly caught the shield in his left hand, coming to a standstill when he noticed you standing a few yards away. Steve turned to see what had drawn Bucky's attention.

"What's up, (Y/N)?" Steve asked.

"Nat and I were talking," you told them. "And we thought the four of us should get out of here tonight."

"What did you have in mind?" Bucky asked.

"Well," you said. "You two are always talking about how you used to go dancing all the time in the 40's, so we thought we might do that, if you're interested. I found a place called Swing 46 in the theater district. It's a jazz and supper club and they have a live band every night. What do you say?"

"I'm in," Bucky announced. "What do you say, Steve?"

"I'm a better dancer than I was in the 40's," Steve bragged. "I might even give you a run for your money, Buck."

"As if," Bucky said, rolling his eyes with a smile.

"Great!" you said. "I'll let Nat know." 

 

 

 

You and Nat spent the afternoon shopping, each of you trying to find the perfect dress for one another. You wanted to make sure that Bucky wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of the gorgeous redhead. Little did you know, Nat had the same agenda in mind for you. You finished shopping earlier than you had thought, so you made an impulsive decision to stop by the salon and have your hair done as well.

That evening, when the two of you emerged in the common room, the boys were speechless at the sight of you dressed like the ladies from their past. You and Nat had seen Steve and Bucky dressed in suits before, but two handsome men in well-tailored suits never failed to impress.

You arrived at the club and were shown to a table where you ordered drinks and began looking over the menu. During your research, you had discovered that the food here was renowned for being fabulous. The four of you spent dinner laughing while you told stories to one another. 

During dinner, you had debated on the best approach to ensure that Nat and Bucky ended up as dance partners, but you needn't have worried. Nat wasn't exactly shy and she loved trying to make people uncomfortable.

"So, Barnes," she said after the plates had been cleared from the table. "You're always bragging about how smooth your dance moves were back in the day. Think you've still got it?"

"Seriously, Romanoff," Bucky smirked as he took her hand and lead her to the dance floor. "I can dance circles around you."

 

 

 

"This is working out even better than I had imagined," you told Steve as the two of you watched the couple begin to dance.

"This was a great idea, (Y/N)," Steve told you. "Bucky loved to take girls dancing. Seeing him out there, smiling and laughing. . . that's the Bucky I remember."

"I see what you mean," you said. "I've never seen him smile like that before. I understand now why all of the girls in the 40's were always chasing after him!"

Steve laughed, remembering days past. "Would you like to dance?" he asked, turning toward you with an outstretched hand.

"I would love to dance," you said, taking his hand and allowing him to pull you into his arms.

 

 

 

"Look at them," Nat told Bucky, watching Steve spin you around the dance floor. "This is working out perfectly!"

"I got to admit, Romanoff, you were right." Bucky conceded. "They look amazing together, but Steve's too comfortable around her. He still sees her as a friend. We need to figure out how to make him see her as more."

"I'll work on that tomorrow," Nat told him. "We've done what all we can for tonight. Right now, I just want to dance!"


	3. Chapter 3

The four of you were kept pretty busy for the next few weeks with various missions. This, however, didn't upset you at all. It gave you time to observe Bucky and Nat so you could plan your next move with Steve. 

It also gave you more time with Steve as well. You had always enjoyed the company of the two supersoldiers, but you mainly spent your free time with Nat, or with Steve and Bucky together. You had never spent a lot of one on one time with him, but now that you were, you started to see just how great the guy was. 

 

 

 

"So, have you noticed how Steve and (Y/N) are always sneaking off together?" Bucky asked Nat one afternoon while they were taking a break from the long hike to a secret Hydra facility.

"You think they're making out in the bushes?" Nat asked with a smile.

"Nope," Bucky replied with a chuckle. "I know Steve, if he were skulking off to make out with (Y/N), he'd be so red in the face when he got back, everyone would know what he'd been up to."

"What do you think they're doing, then?" Nat asked.

"Who knows?" Bucky responded, placing his hand on her shoulder. "But it's (Y/N) and Steve, so you know it's nothing devious."

"True," Nat agreed. "Steve and (Y/N) are great at planning missions, but neither one of them could keep a secret if their lives depended on it!"

 

 

 

 

You and Steve were currently hiding in the bushes, watching Bucky and Nat whispering and laughing together. You took it as a good sign when Bucky casually laid his hand on Nat's shoulder and leaned in closer to talk to her.

"I think it's starting to work, don't you?" you asked Steve.

"Bucky seems really at ease around her," Steve answered. "He's not usually so open with people these days. I mean, he's touching her shoulder with his metal hand and he's laughing. I think it's going really well."

"This is so exciting!" you exclaimed, turning around to look as Steve, not realizing how close he was to you. 

You were surprised to find your face mere inches from his as he crouched down to peak through the trees. You quickly lost your balance and grabbed onto his thick upper arms to catch yourself. Steve automatically put his hands on your waist to help steady you. Tension began to mount as the two of you stared into the surprised eyes of the other. Nervousness had your tongue darting out to lick your lips, drawing his eyes to your mouth. 

Trying to get back to familiar ground, you lowered your arms and said, "I think we should be heading back now, before they start to get suspicious."

Steve let go of your waist, his eyes back on yours. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

 

 

 

The team was able to infiltrate the facility easily and you uncovered some valuable intel in the process. You had sent the findings to Director Coulson and he and his team were pouring through the information to determine when and where the next strike would take place. This gave the team a little time to recover from the back to back missions and relax a little bit.

"What's up, Buck?" Steve asked as he answered Bucky's knock on his door.

"I was craving one of those Pumpkin Spice coffee things, so I thought I'd grab you one as well," Bucky said, handing Steve one of the coffees as he walked into the room and sat down.

"Thanks, I think," Steve replied, looking at the cup questioningly.

"So, I have a question for you," Bucky said after taking a sip from his latte. "While I was in line, I overheard some kids in front of me talking about playing paintball. What exactly is paintball?"

"Paintball!" Steve exclaimed. "Oh, Buck, it is so awesome. You get a group of people together and you go out into the woods trying to shoot each other with gas-compressed guns that shoot balls of paint instead of bullets. Tony, Sam, and Clint took me out one time, it was great!"

"Really?" Bucky asked disbelievingly. "Isn't that basically what we do for a living?"

"Yes and no," Steve explained. "No one actually dies in paintball. I've got an idea. Why don't we ask (Y/N) and Nat to play tomorrow."

"I don't know, Steve," Bucky said, shaking his head.

"Don't you want to know who's the better sniper, you or (Y/N)?" Steve taunted.

"I already know I'm the best," Bucky replied as he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his chair cockily. "I guess it's time that she found that out."

"I'll go talk to (Y/N)," Steve said as he started to leave the room.

Bucky watched Steve go to (Y/N)'s room before he quietly walked to the training room to meet up with Nat.

"He totally bought it," Bucky whispered to Nat.

"Good," Nat replied. "They won't know what hit them."

 

 

 

The next day, the four of you drove out to Staten Island to an outdoor paintball facility. You were all dressed in camouflage gear and had smeared paint on your faces, totally into the game. You paid your fees and went over the guidelines with the staff. 

"So, how are we breaking up the teams?" you asked. "Do we want to do guys versus girls?"

Steve responded to your prompt, just like you'd planned. "I think we should split up differently. Bucky and I always work together on missions, and you and Nat are always a team. Let's mix it up."

"Okay," Bucky said. "Obviously, it won't be fair to have me and (Y/N) on the same team, the game would be over before it began."

"In your dreams, Barnes," Nat scoffed. 

"Well, that just leaves me and (Y/N) and you and Bucky," Steve told the redhead. 

"That's settled, then," you said, picking up a paintball gun. "Steve and I will take blue, you two are red."

 

 

 

For the next hour, the two teams stalked one another through the woods, neither team landing a hit.

"We've worked together too long," Nat told Bucky as you and Steve again evaded one of their attacks. "We know each other's moves too well. We've got to go about this differently if we're going to gain the upper hand."

"What's your plan, Romanoff?" Bucky asked as the two of you crouched behind a juniper bush.

"(Y/N) and I always split up with me causing a distraction to lure the enemy into her sights," she replied.

"Steve and I do the same thing," Bucky agreed.

"We need to make them think that you and I are going to follow the same pattern and then we'll finally catch them off guard." Nat explained. "They've taken cover behind the stack of hay bales about 100 yards northeast of here."

Natasha then continued to explain how Bucky would circle around behind (Y/N) and Steve and set up a decoy to fool them into thinking that she was north of them. Bucky would make sure that his distraction would cause them to leave their backs exposed so that Natasha could take them out from the south.

Bucky moved into position with a single ball of paint in his hand after rigging up his paintball gun to fire toward the bales of hay. Bucky then threw the ball with his left arm, giving the ball enough momentum to fool the two into believing that it was fired from his gun. He simultaneously pulled the wire he had rigged up to his actual gun a few meters away, causing (Y/N) to break cover.

"One's to the east and one's to the west!" you shouted at Steve as the two balls of paint splattered on either side of bales of hay.

You and Steve jumped up from your hiding spot to take fire in the direction each ball of paint had originated. 

You felt a stinging pain right between your shoulder blades and craning your head as far around as you could, you saw a bright splash of red paint on your back.

"I'm hit!" you cried out to Steve as you fell to the ground dramatically. "I'm not going to make it Cap, it's the end."

Playing along with your theatrics, Steve fell to the ground beside you and took you in his arms. "Hold on, (Y/N)," he playacted. "You're not going to die on me!"

You lay back with the back of your hand on your forehead, drawing forth your best Scarlett O'Hara accent, "It's no use! You'll just have to go on without me!"

"I can't lose you, (Y/N)," Steve barely got out between fits of laughter as you rolled you head to the side and "died."

Steve bent down to kiss your forehead in farewell, but you chose that moment to end the act and turn back toward him. Steve's lips met yours and you both stared at one another in shock. Instinctively, you wound your arms around his neck and drew him deeper in the kiss. The shock wore off and soon Steve was kissing you back, his arms wrapped around you back.

The sound of smacking flesh had the two of your breaking apart and looking up quickly to see Nat and Bucky hive-fiving.

"Our work here is done, Barnes," Nat said with a huge grin on her face.

"I've got to give it to you, Romanoff," Bucky said as he put his arm around Nat and started to walk away from the couple on the ground. "This was the best plan you've ever had."

You and Steve looked at each other in confusion. 

"This whole time," you began.

"They were plotting to fix us up!" Steve finished.

The two of you smiled at one another for a minute. Without a word, you both grabbed your paintball guns and took aim at the two walking away from you.

Buck and Nat were still walking with their arms wrapped around one another, enjoying their success. Bucky's instincts kicked in, signaling danger, and without thinking, he spun Nat around into his chest, while he stretched out his metal arm to take the hits from your and Steve's paintball guns.

Nat looked up at Bucky in surprise. "I can't believe you just saved me. . . from paintballs."

"Come on, doll," Bucky replied, looking down at her with a softness in his eyes. "I can't very well let you die on my watch. We make a pretty good team."

Nat took a second to consider before she grabbed Bucky by the back of his head and brought his lips down to hers. Bucky recovered quickly and pulled the redhead closer, losing himself in the passionate kiss.

You and Steve began walking toward the couple. His hand reached out to find yours, lacing his fingers through yours. 

"Should we tell them?" Steve asked, smiling down at you.

"Are you kidding?" you questioned. "Absolutely not. Just let them think they pulled one over on us."

"I'm glad they did," Steve said as he leaned in to kiss you one more time.

"Me too," you agreed.


End file.
